Safran Aerosystems' 11.8 meter Disk Gap Band parachute successfully decelerated NASA's InSight lander safely to the surface of MARS on November 26th 2018. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to give the Red Planet its first thorough checkup since it formed 4.5 billion years ago. It is the first outer space robotic explorer to study in-depth the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Lockheed Martin

Designed, manufactured, tested and integrated by Safran Aerosystems American teams, this parachute decelerated the InSight spacecraft from supersonic entry into the Martian atmosphere from Mach 1.66 at 11.13 kilometers above the Martian surface to 218 kilometers per hour at 1 kilometer of the ground and a soft retrorocket assisted landing. This mission marks the sixth successful entry descent and landing onto the surface of Mars made possible by the dedication of Safran Aerosystems teams.

This is Safran Aerosystems' second parachute on the Red Planet. The first one accompanied Curiosity rover's landing on Mars planet.